Refrigerating apparatus



Jan. 1'3, 1942.

F. W. HARTMAN REFRIGERATING APPARATUS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 2, 1939 INVENTOR kii Jan.- 13, 1942.

F. w. HARTMAN 2,269,909 REFRIGERAI'ING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1939 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENT'OR ATTORN EY Jan. 13, 1942. F, w, ART'MAN 2,269,909

REFRIGERAT ING APPARATUS Filed May 2, 1939 6' Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR W. K mmm ATTORN E' Patented Jan. 13, 1942 2,269,909 REFRIGERATING APrAnA'rUs Frank W. Hartman, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application May 2, 1939, Serial No. 271,369

12 Claims.

This invention relates to air or gas conditioning apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for supplying oxygen to an enclosure and removing the noxious gases of respiration from the enclosure. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to improvementspi my copending'application Serial No. 150,594 filed June 26,

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an air conditioning apparatus arranged to supply oxygen and 1937-, now Patent No. 2,220,447, issued Nov. 5, Y

One object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for conditioning gas which apparatus comprises a mixing chamber having an inlet and an outlet for receiving gas from and directing conditioned gas into an adjacent enclosure, such as a tent, and having one or more vessels of liquid oxygen or liquid air, or both, disposed outside of but connected to the chamber so that volatilized gases will flow from the vessels into the chamber and mix with the gas received from the enclosure; a heat conducting member also is provided that extends from the cool, purified air to the interior of an oxygen tent that is placed over a bed Fig. 2 is a view in section of the cabinet and mixing chamber of the air conditioning apparatus taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is aview in section taken on line 3-3 of Fi 2';

Fig. 4 is a view in section of another form of the air conditioning apparatus, taken substantially on line 4-4 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 5 is a front view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a view partly in section of the apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the section being taken on line 68 of Fig. 4.

mixing chamber into the liquid or liquids for conducting heat from the incoming gas to the liquid or liquids and to also present a chilled surface on which noxious gases and water vapors in the incoming gas will precipitate and freeze.

A further object of the invention is to provide 1 an air or gas conditioning apparatus comprising a vessel of liquid oxygen and a vessel of liquid air, one vessel being connected to one chamber and the other vessel being connected to a second chamber, each chamber having an outlet into an adjacent enclosure and both chambers having an inlet from the enclosure.

It is desirable to provide a tight seal between the outlet of the'liqllid containing vessel and the chamber into which it discharges and from which it receives gases. These vessels are relatively heavy. Another object of the present invention is to provide mechanical mechanism for raising and lowering one of these elements with respect to the other. object to utilize the door of the cabinet which houses the vessel as part of the mechanism for raising and lowering the vessel .to register with the opening in the chamber so that the vessel is raised into sealing relation with-the opening when the door is closed and is released and lowered when the door is opened.

Other and further objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein preferred forms of embodiments of the present invention are clearly shown.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, an apparatus 20 is shown for supplying cold oxygen gas and cold air to the interior of a tent 2!. The tent is formed, of transparent rubberized material, that is adapted to be supported over a person occupying a bed 22 by a hairpin shaped rod 23 suitably attached to an end wall of a cabinet 24. The cabinet 24 is supported by a standard 26 and includes a lower bottle or vessel containing section 21 and an upper insulated section 28.

The bottle section 21 is preferably fabricated of cast aluminum, having a bottom wall 30, two opposite side walls 3| and a horizontal wall 32. Two opposite sides of the cabinet are open as at 33, and are adapted to be covered by suitable doors 34. The doors 34 are hinged at the bot-- tom to the cabinet by hinges 36, and conventiona1 latches 31 are provided at the tops thereof for holding the doors closed. The side edges of the doors 34 are curved at 38 to lit the edges of the side walls 3|.

The insulated section 28 is directly above the section 21 and has one end thereof extending betweenl' beyond the sides of the section 21. The section 28 is formed by outer walls 40 and inner walls 4| having suitable insulation 42 disposed there- The outer walls 40 are formed integrally with the side walls 3| of the section The top of the section 28 is open and an insulating cover 43 is adapted to close the opening. The cover 43 is formed of two metal plates 44 and 45 having insulation 46 disposed therebetween and an insulating breaker strip 41 of soft rubber is disposed around'the edges of the cover between the plates 34 and 35. Thus the section 28 forms a' chamber 49. The partition between the section 21 and section 28 is provided with two openings 5| that are defined by necks 52 formed on the wall 4| that extend downwardly into openings 53 formed in the top wall 32 of the bottle section 21. Soft rubber collars 55 are disposed in the openings 53 between the insulation 42 and the necks 52. V

The chamber 49 includes a pocket or mixing chamber portion 59 formed at the end which is disposed beyond the sides of the section 21. An end wall 58 of the section 28 is provided with two pairs of openings 59 and 60, only one opening of each pair appearing in the drawings. The

openings 59 are above the openings 60 and are located with their centers in a horizontal plane. The lower openings 99 are also located with their centers in a horizontal plane. A rubber collar 62 is disposed in each of these openings. The openings 59 form gas inlets to the chamber 49 and the openings 60 form gas outlets for said chamber. A valve is disposed in each of the openings 80 and comprises a semi-spherical member 54 mounted by a strap 65 on a rod 66, which rod is journalled in flange 61 on the exterior of the wall 58. Therod 6B is provided with a suitable knob 98 for rotating the same to adjust the position of the valves 63.

The flange 61 which is formed on the outside of the end wall 58 surrounds the openings 59 and 80. The flange B7 is provided with a groove 19 formed therearound for receiving the edges of an open end of tent 2| and a rubber band crowds the material-of the tent into the groove,

- thereby forming a sealed connection. This method of connecting the tent to the apparatus is more fully set forth in my copending application Serial No. 150,594, filed June 26, 1937.

The standard 28 for the apparatus 29 includes a base 1 3 and telescoping tubular shafts l4 and 15, the former shaft being attached to base 13 and the latter shaft attached to the bottom wall of the cabinet 24. Preferably the shaft 74 is threaded and receives a nut H which latter when turned adjusts the heighth of the cabinet. It is also desirable to provide suitable casters (not shown) for the base 13 so that the apparatus may be readily moved about.

The bottle section 21 houses two movable platforms and mechanism for raising and loweringthe platforms when the doors 34 are closed andopened, respectively. Each of the platforms 8|) is slidably mounted on two guide bars 8|, which are supported vertically between the top and bottom walls of the cabinet and OII'QPPOSite sides of the platforms. The lower ends of each of the bars 8| rest in a socket 82 formed in the bottom wall 39 and the upper end of each of the bars 8| is secured to a boss 83, formed on the top wall 32, by a threaded sleeve 84 that surrounds the end of the bar and is threaded on the boss 83. The platforms 80 are each provided with two brackets 85 on opposite sides that have openings formed ther'ethrough for receiving the guide bars 8|. A tube 86 is suitably secured in each of the openings in the brackets 85 and each is adapted to slide on a bar 8|. A link 89 is attached to the upper end of each tube 86 which link is attached toa lever 89., Levers 89 are'pivoted on legs 94 on the bottom wall 39 of bottle .compartment 21, and the free end of the levers are adapted to extend outwardly through an opening 33 in the section 21 when the door 34 therefor is open. Two levers 89 are provided for each platform and on opposite sides thereof. The free ,ends of the levers 89 are each provided with a roller 19 for engaging one of the shoes 18. Two such shoes 18 are formed on each door 34.

The platforms 80 rest on a rib l9, bosses 81 and door sills 92 when the platforms, are in their lowered positions. When a pair of the levers 89 are moved upwardly, as by a closing movement of a door 34, the links 88 raise the tubes 88 and a platform 89 is slid upwardly along the bars 8|. When the door 34 is opened, the links 88 swing the levers 89 outwardly as the platform moves to its lowered position by gravity.

The platforms 8!] each support a bottle or vessel 90. The vessels 90 are adapted to carry liquid air or liquid oxygen and are constructed similarly to the well known Dewar vessel. The necks 9| of the vessels 90 are depressed into the soft rubber collars 55 when the platforms are raised due to the closing of the doors 34.

In operation, the apparatus 20 is placed adjacent the head of the bed 22 with the extending or pocket end 56 of the section 28 over the head of the bed. The edge of the open end of the tent 2| is secured to the flange 67 as described above and the lower loose edge of the tent is tucked under the bed covering about the patient. A vessel 99 of liquid oxygen is inserted through one of the openings 33 and placed on a platform 80 and a vessel of liquid air is inserted through the other opening 33 and placed on the other platform. The platforms 89 are each provided with a lug 93 adjacent the periphery thereof for positioning the vessels 99 so that the necks 9| of the vessels will register with the respective openings 5|. The doors adjacent the vessels are then closed and the platforms are raised thereby causing the necks 9| of the vessels to be pressed into the collars 55 to sealingly connect the vessels with the chamber 49.

Two or more U shaped strips 95, preferably of copper, are then placed in the apparatus through the open top of the chamber 49. The yokes 96 of the strips rest on the top of inner bottom wall 4| of the section 28 and a leg 91 of one or more of the strips extends through the opening 5| into one of the vessels and a leg 91 of one or,

more of the other strips 95 extends through an opening 5| into the other vessel. The leg 98 of each strip extends into the pocket 56 of chamber 49. The cover 43 is then placed in position. The strips conduct heat from chamber 49 including pocket 56, to the liquid in the vessels 90. The cooled gas, falling within pocket 55, will fiow through the outlet 60 into the tent and the warm gas with the noxious gases of respiration given off by the patient in the tent, flow into chamber 49 including pocket 56 through the inlets 59. The Warm air and noxious gases are mixed in the pocket 58 with the cold air and oxygen boiling off of the liquids in the vessels 90. The rate of flow of the conditioned air into the tent may be controlled by the valves 63. The liquid gases in the vessels 99 cool the strips 95 to a very low temperature so that the noxious gases mil condense and freeze on the strips. Likewise water vapors given off by the patient will condense and freeze on the strips. The proportions of vaporized air and oxygen gas desired in the mixture can be controlled by controlling the relative amount of heat conducted to the respective vessels of liquid air and liquid oxygen. This is accomplished by varying the width or the number of strips 95 associated with one of the vessels with respect to the width or number of strips 95 associated with the other vessel.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent, that chamber I21 above the chambers I22 and I23.

the present invention provides structural improvements over my copending application previously mentioned. The probabilities of an attendant spilling cold liquid on the patient is substantially nil although the vessels are renewed while the conditioning apparatus is associated with the bed. Furthermore a delirious patient cannot, under any'circumstances, upset the apparatus while he is in the bed. A pulling on the front end of the apparatus by a patient will merely cause the forward wall 3| of the apparatus to engage the rear of the head 93 of the bed 22. Thus the wall 3| functions as a guard to prevent upsetting of the apparatus.

' The height of the apparatus has been minimized. This has been accomplished by providing the extending pocket section 56 and by spacing this pocket section from the bottle or vessel section 21 so that the space can receive the head of the bed. In other words, by this arrangement, the vessel section 21 can be disposed directly behind the head of the bed. Thus the center of gravity of the apparatus has been lowered with the consequent effect of lessening the possibility of upsetting the apparatus and furthermore, ease of removing the vessels and the conductor strips has been enhanced.

Any water vapors or noxious gases which reach the liquids in the vessel will freeze in the liquids and can be removed by a ladle. Thestrips 95 can be removed after cover 43 is removed when it is desirable to melt off frost formed by the frozen water vapor and frozen noxious gases.

Another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 wherein an air conditioning apparatus I is shown. This apparatus comprises a casing IOI formed of sheet metal having semi-circular end walls I02, front and back walls I03 and a bottom wall I04. The side walls taper upwardly as at I05, to form an opening I and a neck I01 is formed at the opening. An opening is formed in the casing that extends across the back wall I03 and half way around the end walls I02. A door.I08, having curved side sections I09 that conform with the curved end walls I02,,is hinged to the back wall I03 by suitable hinges I I0 and is adapted to close the opening. The door I08 slightly overlaps the sides of the casing around the edges of the opening. A suitable latch" III is provided for locking the door closed. A tubular shaft II2 extends upwardly into the casing IOI through an opening end of shaft H2. The shaft H2 is supported on a tube II4 that is secured in a vertical position by a suitable base (not shown). The tube I I4 is slidably fitted inside the shaft H2 and the collar H3 is provided with .a lock screw II3 that is threaded in an opening in the collar for looking the collar at any desired position on the tube II4. Thus the height of the casing IOI may be adjusted. A partition H5 is suitably secured to the side walls I02 and I03 and extends across the casing for dividing the casing into an upper section H6 and lower section H1. The shaft II2 extends into a plate I13 which latter is suitably secured to the bottom of the partition 5, for stabilizing the casing IOI. The partition H5 is provided with two openings I23 and I2I.

Two chambers I22 and I23, formed by sheet metal tubes I24 and I25 respectively are suitably secured within the upper section II5 of the easing I3I. Thetubes I24 and I25are joined togetber at I23, as by welding. and form an upper The upper part of chamber I21 merges into a neck I28 which is disposed inside, the neck I01. An opening I30 is formed in the tubes I24 and I25 and a sheet metal tube I3I is connected to these tubes at the opening I30. The-tube I24 is provided with an opening I32; a sheet metal tube I33 is connected to the tube I24 at, the opening The tube I25 is provided with an opening I34; a sheet metal tube I35 is connected to the tube I25 at the opening I34.

Tubes I3I, I33 and I35 project over the head 99 of the bed and the outer ends thereof extend into and support a triangularly shaped plate I36. This plate I36 is formed preferably of insulatin material, such as wood. The plate I33 is formed with a groove I31 therearound; the periphery edges of an open end of the tent 2| may be secured in the groove by an elastic band I3I. Two hairpin shaped rods I39 are suitably connected to the face of the plate I36 and extend outwardly for supporting the tent 2I over the person occupying the bed 22. Thus the tubes I3I, I33

and I35 may be connected with the interior of the tent 2I. The tubes I33 and I35 are each provided with a damper valve I. These valves aremounted on a rod l42sjournaled in around the inside of the neck I23 and over the end edges a; the necks I01 and 128. An insulating-cover I is adapted to fit into the neck I for sealing t echamber I21.

A movable platform I50 is provided in the lower section I I1 of the casing IOI for supporting two of the vessels 30. The platform I50 is provided with an opening through the center thereof and a collar I5I is connected to the underside of the platform around the opening. The shaft II2 extends through the collar and platform and the platform is movable in a vertical direction along the shaft. The collar I5I closely fits the shaft I I2 so that the shaft will stabilize the platform- A cam I52 is mounted on a r I53 rotavtively connected to the shaft II2. The'collar I5I rides on the periphery of the cam.

' and lower the 'platforml5l.

In operation, the ap atus I00 is placed adjacent the bed 22 with the bes I3I, I33 and I35 and the plate I35 extendingaover the head of the bed. The edge of an open e d ofthe tent 2I is secured around the plate I33 described above, and the other edge of the 0 end of the tent is tuckedunder the bed cov about the patient. Vessels 33 of liquid 0 v gen and of liquid air are placed on the platfrm I50, when it is in its lowered position, and in register with the ends of the tubes I24 and I respectively. The cam I52 is then rotated so that the platform is raised, to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The raising of the platform I53 presses the upper edges of the vessels against the collars I and over the ends of the tubes I24 and I25. Strips I of copper or some suitable heat conducting material are inserted through the opening I33 in the top of the casing III. The strips tube I3I and strikes the strips I55.

I55 rest on the bottoms of the vessels 90 and extend upwardly through the chambers I22 and I23 and into the chamber I21.

The warm air rising in the tent 2I, entersthe The strips I55 and the metal tubes I24 and I25 are chilled by the liquid oxygen and liquid air so that the incoming air is cooled and descends into the chambers I22 and I23 and flows out the openings and tubes I33 and I35 into the tent H. The strips I conduct heat, from the incoming air,

to the liquid in the vessels 90, and the liquids volatilize and flow upwardly into the chambers I22 and I23 and mix with the air from the tent. The mixed gases then flow out of the chambers into the tent through the tubes I33 and I35. The strips I55 are chilled to the extent that noxious gases of respiration and water vapors entering the chambers I21, I22 and I23 are condensed and frozen on the strips and thereby removed from circulation. The relative rate of volatilization of the liquid oxygen and liquid air is controlled by varying the number or the sizes of strips I55 placed in the respective vessels.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the oxygen gas emanating from the liquid oxygen is mixed with other gases circulating through the apparatus and tent in one of the chambers for example chamber I22 and the air, emanating from the liquid air is mixed with other gases circulating through the apparatus in the other chamber for example chamber I23. The rate of flow of the gases through the tent may be controlled by the damper valves MI.

While the forms of embodiments of the present I invention as herein disclosed constitute preferred forms, ,it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

l. A gas conditioning apparatus, comprising in combination, means forming a chamber in which gas to be conditioned is circulated; a vessel containing a volatile liquid disposed outside of said chamber, said chamber and vessel having openings registering with one another; and heat conducting means in heat exchange relation with the gas in the chamber and with the liquid in the vessel.

2. A gas conditioning apparatus, comprising in combination, means forming a chamber in which gas to be conditioned is circulated, said chamber having an opening; a vessel containing a volatile liquid and having an opening, the vessel being disposed outside of the chamber; means connecting the vessel and chamber with the openings registering with one another; and heat conducting means in heat exchange relation with the gas in the chamber and with the liquid in the vessel.

3. In a gas conditioning apparatus, means forming a chamber; a vessel containing a volatile liquid disposed below said chamber, said chamber and vessel having openings registering .with one another; means forming a housing for the vessel, said housing including an entranceway for'the vessel and a door for the entranceway; and means operated by the movement of the door for causing relative movement in a vertical direction between the first named means and the vessel for interconnecting the openings.

4. In a gas conditioning apparatus, a base,

disposed within the housing, said vessel and chamber having openings adapted to register with one another, said housing having an opening for the insertion and removal of the vessel, and including a door therefor; and mechanism actuated by the door for moving one of the aforementioned means relative to the other for causing the chamber and vessel to be interconnected through the openings therein.

5. In a gas conditioning apparatus, means forming a chamber having an opening; a vessel containing a volatile liquid disposed below the chamber and having an opening registering with the opening in the chamber, said chamber including a downwardly extending pocket, the wall forming the pocket being open for the ingress and egress of gas; and heat conducting means between the pocket and the liquid in the vessel.

6. In a gas conditioning apparatus, means forming a chamber having an opening; a vessel containing a volatile liquid disposed below the chamber and having an opening registering with the opening in the chamber, said chamber including a downwardly extending pocket, the wall forming the pocket being open, for the ingress and egress of gas; and a removable heat conductor extending into the pocket and into the vessel.

7. In a gas conditioning apparatus, in combination with a bed having a head; means forming a chamber above and to the rear of the head of the bed and a pocket disposed in front of the head of the bed, said pocket being open for the ingress and egress of air, said chamber having an opening in the rear of the head of the bed; and a vessel containing volatile liquid disposed below the chamber and at the rear of the head of the bed and having an opening registering with the opening in the chamber.

8. In a gas conditioning apparatus, in combination with a bed having a head; means forming a chamber 'above and to the rear of the head of the bed and a pocket disposed in front of the head of the bed, said pocket being open for the ingress and egress of air, said chamber having an opening rearwardly of the head of the bed; a vessel containing volatile liquid disposed below the chamber and at the rear of the head of the bed and having an opening registering with the opening in the chamber; and. means forming a guard between the head of the bed and the vessel.

9. In a gas conditioning apparatus, in combination with a bed having a head; means forming a gas passage over and forwardly and rearwardly of the head of the-bed, the forwardly extending portion being open for the ingress and egress of air and the rearwardly extending portion having an opening; and a vessel containing volatile fluid disposed below the passage and at the rear of the head of the bed and having an opening registering with the opening in said rearwardly extending portion.

10. In a gas conditioning apparatus, means forming a plurality of mixing chambers, each having an opening in the lower part thereof, said chambers having openings for the ingress and egress of gas; means forming passages extending laterally from the chambers and connected with the latter openings, one of said passages being commonto both chambers; and vessels containing volatile liquid disposed below the chambers'and each having an opening registering with one of the first mentioned openings in the chambers.

11. In a gas conditioning apparatus, means 12. A gas conditioning apparatus, comprising in combination, means forming a chamber in which respiration is carried on; ing a volatile liquid disposed outside of said chamber, the boiling point of the liquid being below the condensaton temperature of a gas forming a constituent of the gases of respiration, said chamber and vessel having openings registering with one another; and heat conducting means in heat exchange relation with gas in the chamber and with the liquid in the vessel.

' FRANK .W. HARTMAN.

a vessel contain- 

